PHC suspends by-polls on 24 NA seats

Humayun Khan
PESHAWAR: A divisional bench of Peshawar High Court (PHC) comprising of Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Arshad Ali has suspended by-elections on 24 constituencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while ordered the respondents to submit reply and adjourned further hearing till 7th March, on Friday.
During hearing Justice Attique Shah remarked that you are playing with parliament if resignations accepted it is right if didn’t then to return to the house for pressurizing the government while Justice Syed Arshad Ali observed that why should you approached the court with delay?
Deputy Attorney General Sana Ullah and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Barrister Gohar Khan appeared before PHC while the PTI counsel argued that Speaker National Assembly has accepted resignation without approval while party demanded to accept 123 resign as a whole.
PTI has decided to return to National Assembly following new developments on 14th January while Justice Arshad Ali inquired that is PTI members contacted Speaker for withdrawal of their resigns.
The counsel informed that party’s chairman Imran Khan has announced it on media which is enough while Justice SM Attique Shah remarked that is you are playing with parliament, if resigns are accepted it is right otherwise to return back to parliament.
PTI’s lawyer argued that they didn’t playing with parliament and requested to suspend by-polls scheduled on 16th and 19th March and added that it was tactic to pressurize the government for early elections. He added that on member of PTI approached Islamabad High Court while his notification was suspended but Speaker didn’t allow him to participate in the National Assembly session.
However, the divisional bench inquired from Deputy Attorney General Sana Ullah how government dealing the case because it is related to Speaker National Assembly and he isn’t the federation. Deputy Attorney General argued that all arrangements are concluded for the elections while the petitioners are candidates in the by-polls.
Although, the counsel for petitioners argued that economic crisis visible before everyone while Justice Syed Arshad Ali observed that it is another issue and parliament will loo into it while added that you should approached the court with delay.
Barrister Gohar Khan informed that all PTI’s members had approached Lahore High Court while the court directed petitioners to approached the jurisdiction of this court. Justice Arsahd Ali observed that the may the arguments convince the bench or not but other High Courts had suspended by-polls in the country.
Moreover, Justice Arshad Ali remarked that why shouldn’t the expenses will charge from the petitioner and observed that is other parties are participating in the elections? Election Commission of Pakistan’s lawyer informed that other parties had boycotted from the by-polls and only PTI’s candidates are contesting in the election while PTI’s lawyers argued that by-polls are both loss of time and money. The divisional bench of PHC comprising of Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Syed Arshad Ali has suspended by-polls scheduled on 16th and 19th March while directed respondents to submit comments in this regard.